Proposed 2012-13 Edgemont School Budget Complies with NYS Tax Cap
- Details
- Hits: 3544
The Edgemont School Administration proposed their 2012-13 school budget of $50,016,261, that includes a minimal spending increase of .31% over the current year's budget of $49,861,858. The proposed budget will result in a projected tax-rate increase of 3.42% that falls within the 2% New York State tax cap by factoring in a growth factor of 1.02% and including exemptions for capital expenditures, debt service and increases in the pension payment that exceed 2%.
The 3.42% tax levy increase is higher than the .31% budget-to-budget increase because tax assessments have significantly decreased assessed value. Commercial tax certioraris caused the district to refund money to commercial property owners for taxes overpaid in previous years and to also lower the assessed value of the properties for the future. In addition over 200 homeowners have filed for residential assessment reductions. The district expects close to a million dollars less in assessments from 2011-2012 and the decline in Edgemont's tax base will continue to pose challenges for the district.
The proposed school budget will require structural changes in the district, including the loss of teacher’s jobs and changes in programs and services. There will be a district-wide reduction in staff with head count cuts from 186 to 178 professionals. Some staff members will work fewer hours and others will be let go. There will be a loss of 1.5 full-time teaching positions in kindergarten through sixth grade and 5.15 positions at the secondary school level. Projected enrollment decreases contributed to the teacher cuts, especially at the elementary level. At the high school, the loss of teaching positions is due to the discontinuation of the Study Skills for Success program and the elimination of English and history electives. Other cost-savings measures could include the following:
- Some electives that are now offered every year will be offered in alternating years.
- The A school may be restructured
- There may be increases in class size
- Entry into the Science Scholars program may be delayed until tenth grade.
Sixth and ninth grade camps for the students will be discontinued. Modified sports will continue to be offered and though there will be no cuts to athletic teams, the teams will participate in fewer invitational tournaments, saving money on transportation and related expenses. The budget does allow for essential maintenance projects including $400,000 for new windows at Seely Place elementary school, the oldest of the district buildings. Funds for supplies and textbooks are down eight percent and all music consultants, except for the strings consultant, have been eliminated.
Many parents are concerned about the loss of teachers and have expressed these concerns to the administration. Others are upset that the 6th and 9th grade camps, a longstanding tradition in Edgemont have been suspended. The administration decided not to attempt to override the 2% cap by a vote of 60%, as this is the first year of the property tax levy cap. But administrators believe that the proposed budget preserves the Edgemont educational program.
The next BOE Meeting will be on Tuesday, February 14th at 8:15pm in the LGI. On February 15th, the Board will hold two budget forums, one at 9:00 am in the EHS Library and an evening "Budget 101" session at 7:30 pm in the LGI. If approved by the Board of Education, the budget will be put to a full vote of the community on May 15th. As the budget increase is under the property tax cap, it only needs to be approved by a majority vote, rather than the super majority of 60% for budgets that exceed the cap.
Greenacres Residents Meet With Police to Discuss Spate of Burglaries
- Details
- Hits: 5042
In response to concerns about a recent spate of burglaries in Greenacres, the Greenacres Association set up a community-wide meeting with the Scarsdale Police at Greenacres School on February 1. Over sixty residents turned out to discuss break-ins on Park Road, Eton Road, Fairview Road, River Road and Greenacres Avenue, and wanted to know what the police are doing to protect the area. Many had break-ins at their own homes or at neighboring homes and were concerned about a perceived lack of a police presence in the area.
Police opened the meeting by sharing year-over-year crime statistics, which surprisingly showed that the number of burglaries in Scarsdale overall was down from 45 in 2010 to 18 in 2011. However seven out of the 18 burglaries last year took place in Greenacres.
In response to the burglaries Scarsdale detectives reported that they dusted for fingerprints and sent any physical evidence to the Westchester Crime Lab for analysis. Descriptions of stolen jewelry are cross-referenced with lists of pawnshop sales from Westchester County and investigated on “Leads Online” that also catalogues transactions of stolen goods. Scarsdale Police are sharing information with police in nearby areas – and this cooperation lead to the arrest of two men who were charged with breaking into a Greenacres Avenue home in September, 2011.
Police noted that all of the burglaries this year took place in homes that had no alarm or did not have the alarm system armed. Most of the break-ins were at homes near parkways or larger roadways that serve as escape routes. They took place between 7:30 am and noon or from 5-8pm when it gets dark. For the most part, these were crimes of opportunity that took place in unoccupied homes.
However, one home on Fairview Road was burglarized while the homeowners were asleep. Police believe the back door may have been unlocked or not properly secured as there was no sign of forced entry. Electronics and a purse was taken and this incident did now match the circumstances of the other burglaries.
In order to step up security, police have taken the following measures:
- License plate readers are now being used to record license plate numbers of cars in the area
- Marked patrol units have been assigned to Greenacres
- Unmarked and undercover cars are being used to patrol
- Bicycle patrols have been assigned
- Police have gone door to door in Greenacres to provide crime prevention tips and create awareness.
In order to prevent burglaries, Police provided the following advice:
- Leave lights and televisions on timers when you are out.
- Use motion sensing outdoor security lights
- Turn on the alarm system
- Keep all doors locked
- Install “pet immune motion sensors
- Install glass break sensors on doors and windows
- Be an observant neighbor
- Don’t use social networking to broadcast that you are away
- Consider the installation of video surveillance cameras
- Store your valuables in a safe.
- If you see something, call police immediately and take down license plate numbers.
Some of the residents at the meeting suspected that the burglaries on Park and Fairview Roads were related to construction in the area and wanted to know if police had records of how many burglaries occurred near construction sites. They urged police to go to the construction sites and gather names of workers. However police reported that similar incidents have recently taken place across the White Plains border on Soundview Avenue.
Residents on Fairview were also concerned about a fence that was taken down that blocked access to Fairview from Park Road. They asked for more patrols of their area so that workers would notice the police presence. One resident urged the Village to consider installing surveillance cameras on the streets and others were concerned that police were not doing enough to investigate these crimes. The police officers stayed to answer all questions and advised parents to tell their children that if they had a concern while home alone, to call the police FIRST and then to call their parents. The tenor of the meeting was serious and it was evident that some no longer feel safe in their homes.
When asked for a comment following the meeting, Lieutenant Thomas Altizio of the Scarsdale Police said, “We are continuing to investigate all burglaries, and ask that the community be vigilant in securing their homes and utilizing alarm systems. We encourage residents to immediately report any suspicious persons or activities to the Scarsdale Police Department so it can be investigated.” The Scarsdale Police can be reached by calling 722-1200 or dialing 911 in an emergency.
Trustees Examine Village Code for Home Generators
- Details
- Hits: 3927
In response to residents’ complaints about a highly restrictive code for the installation of home generators in Scarsdale, the Scarsdale Trustees Law Committee met on the evening of January 18, 2012 to review the code and get input on revising it. The current code requires that the generator’s noise level cannot exceed 55 decibels at the nearest property line, that the generator be placed in the backyard and be positioned 20 feet from the property line.
John Goodwin from the Village Manager’s Office did some research on the issue and reported that since 2006, 151 residents have applied for permits to install home generators and 113 were approved. Variances were requested by 18 residents, with most asking for permission to place the generator in the side yard rather than the backyard as the code currently requires. Only 63 Certificates of Occupancy have been granted to date as some have not followed through with the building department or the installation has not been completed.
Goodwin also surveyed neighboring towns and found that most require the maximum sound level to be 70-75 decibels, rather than 55 decibels. Though Scarsdale has the same sound requirement for air conditioning units as generators, there are no requirements about the placement of air conditioning units.
In discussion at the meeting, Mayor Flisser noted that since she has been Mayor there have been three big storms, with power outages lasting 4 days, despite pressure applied to Con Edison to restore power more quickly. She noted that power is essential to relieve flooding in some resident’s basements during these storm periods.
Two local contractors were in the audience and provided information about the generators that are available on the market. Though a quiet generator that only emits 55 decibels is available, it is twice as expensive as louder models. The cost for the quiet unit was quoted at $26,000 vs. the louder units at $12,000.
Trustee Richard Toder noted that these generators are only used for a very limited time during emergency situations, and noise is not an overriding factor. He suggested that provisions for noise, setbacks and location be re-examined.
Chairing the meeting Trustee Brodsky commented that if the code for legally installing a generator is restrictive, and the price of the legal unit is prohibitive, it will increase the chance that residents will purchase temporary generators and hook them up themselves. This can be dangerous and therefore she favored modifying the code to make it feasible for more residents to install a legal generator.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the trustees asked the staff to make a recommendation to address the noise, location and setback requirements in order to draft code that provides more flexibility and would allow residents to install emergency generators without requiring a variance.
The Scarsdale Village Budget - What's In and What's Out
- Details
- Hits: 4085
The Scarsdale community tends to focus the lions’ share of their attention on the school budget, which accounts for about 65% of resident’s local tax bill, with the county taking another 18%, followed by the Village with 17%. Even though the Village portion is the smallest, your Village taxes pay for many of the services that define life in Scarsdale. Out of this portion comes funds for the roads, snow plowing and pothole repairs, recreation including the pool, day camp, tennis/paddle courts and fireworks, the library and even the community gardens you find around town.
For 2012-13, the Village expense budget is projected to be $48.5 million with projected revenues of $47.1 million. The revenues are derived primarily from real estate taxes that account for $32 million of the total. Other revenue line items include sales tax, recreation and camp fees, licenses and permits such as building permits, and fines and forfeitures at $879,000 (feed the meter or you’ll be contributing to this revenue stream!). Another big item is mortgage taxes which account for $1.4 million in revenues.
On the expense side, $7.3 million is spent on the Public Works Department, for sanitation, roadwork, snowplowing, leaf pick-up and landscaping with $6.2 million for the police force and another $5.4 million for the Fire Department. The Village’s employee pension payment accounts for $4.3 million with health and other benefits adding up to another $8.3 million. Another big piece is the library at $3.45 million.
Despite growing state mandated expenses, Village Manager Al Gatta has proposed a budget for 2012-13 that actually falls within the 2% property tax levy cap. There is a projected budget gap of $1,392,614, the difference between projected revenues and expenses - which would require a 4.435% tax rate increase. But New York State has allowed exemptions from the tax levy cap for certain projected expenses such as $303,000 in pension expenditures (.965% on the tax rate) and $255,609 in the loss in the assessed value of Scarsdale real estate, (.814% on the tax rate). With these exemptions the tax rate increase comes down to 2.044%. This 4.435% increase would translate to an annual increase of $239 for the average Scarsdale household.
However, it is important to note that this budget does not include funds for the tax revaluation project, estimated at $1 million, nor funds to alleviate flooding in the Sheldrake River area in Murray Hill/Middle Heathcote. The current budget does include $1 million for road repairs, which is in line with prior year’s appropriations.
So – the good news is that Village expenditures are under control. However, if you were hoping to see the revaluation go through, or to have the Sheldrake River flooding addressed, you may want to make your thoughts known. Consider sending a letter or an email to Village Hall or attending a public briefing session on the Village budget on Thursday February 23 at 6:30 pm at Scarsdale Village Hall.
State Supreme Court Reverses Dromore Road Ruling, Clearing the Way for Multi-Family Housing
- Details
- Hits: 4741
Edgemont Residents were surprised by a January 12, 2012 email they received from Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner concerning Dromore Road. Feiner’s email said, “In a court decision dated January 10, 2012, Judge Gerald Loehr has reversed the Town Zoning Board of Appeal’s determination that the 2.26 acre property at One Dromore Road in Edgemont is in the Town’s R-20 Single Family Residential District and has concluded that the property is in the CA-1 Multi-Family District and can be improved with multi-family dwellings. In addition, the decision may have implications for the Greenburgh Nature Center and Edgemont community. The Board will discuss a possible appeal.”
The problematic situation at Dromore Road started back on May 24, 2006 when S & R Development Estates LLC (S & R) purchased the property known as 1 Dromore Road (also known as 62 Dromore Road) in Edgemont for $1.4 million. The property is approximately 2.25 acres and is located right off Central Avenue between the Greenburgh Nature Center and the Edgemont High School campus. S & R purchased the property, which had a one family home on it at the time, with the intent of developing the land and building a four-story multi-family 37 unit apartment complex with approximately 35 bedrooms per acre . The developers believed that the parcel of land was located in a multi-family CA-1 zone and at the time, the zoning maps did show the land to be in the multi-family zone. However, in early 2007, the Town informed S&R that there had been an error on the zoning map (dating back to the late 1990s) and the land was actually located in an R-20 single-family zone.
Of course, this mistake changed everything for the developer; S & R argued that their decision to purchase the property was based on the belief 
that they could build multi-family units on the site. In preparation, they had already demolished the existing home on the property in December 2006. S & R understandably was shocked at this new information and the change in zoning had a tremendous impact on the value of the property. In September, 2005 S & R had the property appraised at a value of $10,200,000. The same size parcel of land in a single-family zone would be worth substantially less. In March 2011, S & R won a Tax Certiorari Settlement reducing the assessed value of the parcel from $37,050 to $13,000 in 2010 (the revised assessment for 2008 and 2009 was $18,525) and S & R received a $61,000 tax refund.
The town corrected the zoning map to show that the property was situated in R-20, with zoning for single-family residences on minimum half-acre lots. After much legal back and forth with the Town, S & R lost its appeal to the Town of Greenburgh Zoning Board of Appeals who, in late 2007, upheld the decision of the Town's Department of Community Planning and Conservation designating the property for single family residences. Last week, the State Supreme Court disagreed and upheld the 2006 zoning map, declaring that the property is in Zone CA-1. The developer can now submit his plans to develop the parcel of land and go forward with his original plans unless the Town appeals the recent court ruling. Supervisor Paul Feiner has said that the matter will be discussed with the Town Attorney next week.
Many Edgemont residents worry that if multi-family dwellings are built, it will bring even more students into the school district. Already facing the 2% state mandated tax cap, these extra students will put additional budgetary pressure on the district. Others in the neighborhood are concerned about the loss of open green space in an area that is already over-developed. Understandably the Greenburgh Nature Center is also not happy with the ruling. Last, Dromore Road itself is quite narrow and not ideal for the added traffic that the development will bring to it.
In 2006, the Conservation Advisory Council (CAC) also recommended trying to preserve this parcel of land as open space. In a January 2007 memo from the chairperson of the CAC, Theresa Mae Tori said, "While small, this parcel is a link between two larger open spaces; the Nature Center and the Edgemont High School Campus. When the Town established its Open Space Plan, the importance to local fauna of connecting open space was recognized as an element in identifying land to be acquired."
Learn more, by reading Judge Loehr’s decision here:
